Review: Seven Wives #3
From IDW Crime
The final part of this murder mystery, and there are some twists and turns along the way in Seven Wives #3 from IDW Crime.
In the final issue of Seven Wives, detectives Aguilar and Halwell continue to interrogate the many wives of murdered cult leader Matthew Dunn. They’re sure one of his celestial brides is guilty of killing the corrupt divine leader.
With each line of questioning, they slowly uncover a truth too horrifying to face. Matthew’s many locked doors protect secrets that escalate the homicide investigation into an explosive and damning case with an unlikely character at its center. But even with the piles of evidence, the FLDS church and its members may be too powerful to prosecute.
Author: Zoe Tunnell
Artist: Keyla Valerio
This issue does an excellent job of wrapping up the many loose ends of the story while still giving us an open ending that leaves us thinking about the state of the world in which these characters reside. There is a feeling that the story has reached its conclusion, but at the same time, the door is left open for something else in the future. There is even the possibility that we could see some of these characters again, which is something I would certainly be interested in.
Bringing together all of the different threads of the story would always be a tough job. With all the wives, the church community and the various supporting characters involved, this has been a fairly convoluted read at times. However, the work done across the previous issues in establishing the relationships and personalities really pays off here. We understand the connections between the characters and, more importantly, their motivations, which makes some of the character moments in this issue particularly effective.
The tension is also excellent as we make our way towards the ending. A lot of this comes from the residents of the church community and the atmosphere that has been building around them, but there is also the ongoing tension of the investigation itself. This moves us nicely into the detective side of the story, showing not only the frustrations that come with trying to get answers but also the different methods used during the investigation. There are some interesting political aspects to this as well, showing that the investigation is not simply about finding out what happened but also about who is involved and what the consequences might be.
The ending itself is an interesting one. It is certainly not as cut and dried as you might expect, and I think that works particularly well for this story. There is some closure, but it comes in more ways than one, with certain elements being resolved while others are deliberately left open. It gives the reader something to think about rather than simply tying everything up neatly and moving on.
The artwork continues to do an excellent job throughout the issue, particularly when it comes to showing the varying emotions of the characters. There is a lot happening beneath the surface, and the expressions and body language help to reinforce that. The artwork also works well with the flashbacks, helping to distinguish these moments while adding to the history and context of the story.
Overall, this is a strong conclusion to Seven Wives. It manages to bring together a complicated set of characters and storylines, provides some satisfying closure, and still leaves enough unanswered to keep the wider world and these characters interesting. Combined with the detective elements, the darker church setting and the excellent artwork, it makes for a fitting end to the story.
